The present invention relates to a storage enclosure, and more particularly to a modular storage enclosure.
Storage enclosures such as sheds typically include a set of walls, a door, a floor, and a roof. The walls, roof, or floor may be formed by assembly and attachment of a plurality of separate panels using fasteners such as screws, bolts, nails, and pins. Additionally, such storage enclosures are generally used for storing items such as lawn care tools and equipment, recreational equipment, athletic equipment, and the like. Storage of such items within known storage enclosures may include installation of organizational devices (e.g., shelves, boxes, bins, and the like) that are free-standing or fastened to a wall. Hooks, tool hangers and other accessories that assist in storing of items may be fastened to the walls using fasteners such as screws, bolts, nails, staples, or the like.
Known storage enclosures have several disadvantages. For example, many known storage enclosures require a substantial amount of time, labor, planning, and skill to install, configure and reconfigure (if reconfigurable at all). Assembly or installation of organizational devices is inefficient due to a large number of necessary structural components and fasteners and incompatibility of different products from different manufacturers. Also, fasteners used to attach organizational devices to the walls of the storage enclosure may be invasive or destructive to the walls. Additionally, known methods of coupling adjacent panels to form walls or the roof are also destructive or invasive to the components themselves, making the sheds difficult to modify or rearrange. Such problems may discourage use, reconfiguration, and reorganization of the sheds and associated organizational devices.
To provide an inexpensive, reliable, and widely adaptable technique of securing organizational devices or other accessories to a wall of a storage shed, or to couple adjacent wall panels, that avoids the above-referenced and other problems, would represent a significant advance in the art.
A primary feature of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive, easy-to-manufacture, and aesthetically pleasing storage enclosure that overcomes the above-noted disadvantages.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide attachment interfaces for a wide variety of modular organizational devices or other accessories that reduce manufacturing assembly costs in many applications, and that are quickly and easily reconfigurable.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide structural components for a storage enclosure (such as walls, roof, etc.) that are relatively quickly and easily assembled and disassembled, configured or reconfigured, and the like.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a storage enclosure that is lightweight and yet provides suitable strength and rigidity as a storage enclosure or as a display panel.
How these and other advantages and features of the present invention is accomplished, individually, collectively, or in various subcombinations, will be described in the following detailed description of the preferred and other exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the FIGURES. Generally, however, they may be accomplished in a storage enclosure including a plurality of panels defining an interior space. At least one of the plurality of panels includes a mounting interface configured to couple an accessory to one of the plurality of panels, and a panel interface configured to couple adjacent panels.
These and other advantages and features of the present invention may also be accomplished in a storage enclosure including a plurality of panels defining an interior space. At least one of the plurality of panels includes a mounting interface configured to couple an accessory to one of the plurality of panels. The mounting interface includes a flange that defines a receptacle.
These and other advantages and features of the present invention may further be accomplished in a panel including a mounting interface configured to couple an accessory to the panel. The mounting interface includes a flange which defines a retaining profile.
The disclosed embodiments further relate to various features and combinations of features shown and described in the disclosed embodiments. Other ways in which the objects and features of the present invention is accomplished will be described in the following specification or will become apparent to those skilled in the art after they have read this specification. Such other ways are deemed to fall within the scope of the disclosed embodiments if they fall within the scope of the claims which follow.